Port Harcourt refinery commences operations

The Federal Government says the Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company in Rivers State has begun operations.

The Federal Government said that the facility began operations on Wednesday, 20th December, 2023, following the completion of the first phase of work at the plant.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, who led members of the Refinery Steering Committee to inspect the facility, hailed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Nigerians for the feat.

He explained that refined petroleum products would start flowing from the refinery after the Christmas break.

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Recall that the government had earlier in the year repeatedly declared that the Port Harcourt refinery would begin operations before the end of 2023.

Nigeria’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri have been dormant for years, as the Federal Government has spent several billions of naira to revamp the facilities.

“The meeting today coincides with the commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery,” Lokpobiri stated at the refinery.

On his part, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, said the employees of the company worked day and night for over 9.6 million man-hours to get the refinery back on stream.